Mr. Grayson was diagnosed with schizophrenia and PTSD but the military claimed his medical records could not be found; therefore, they could not prove his schizophrenia or PTSD were service-related. Mr. Grayson tried to be patient but could not understand how this could be. Ten years would go by and his case was still pending.
Finally, as a last resort, he came to Legal Services of the Hudson Valley in 2017 for help and met staff attorney Alexander Brandes. Alex is known around the office as a patient and kind gentleman and an expert in veteran’s benefits. He knows how important it is to treat clients suffering from mental challenges in a professional and compassionate manner. Alex had to develop not only a plan to win the case for Mr. Grayson but also a strategy to keep his client calm throughout the already lengthy process.
When Alex first took the case, he knew it was an uphill battle. Without any medical records from the military this appeared to be a no-win situation, so Alex jumped into action requesting case records and contacting doctors, asking them to write letters on Mr. Grayson’s behalf. Alex combed through tens of thousands of pages of reports and connected the dots. As Alex read more it became apparent Mr. Grayson’s schizophrenia was a service-connected disability.
Mr. Grayson had other veterans that were witnesses, he had scars, medical reports, testimonies from doctors, and proof that his current disabilities were in fact either caused by or incurred during service. With this, Alex knew he would be able to fight the case. In 2020, Alex was able to secure the retro-payments and ongoing benefits that were owed to Mr. Grayson.
Let us not forget about the men and women that have fought for our freedom. They deserve to get the benefits they have earned! In 2020, LSHV handled 2,236 benefit cases- with almost 80,000 Veterans in the Hudson Valley, we still have work to do. Take a moment to honor our veterans this week with a gift to Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. Even a small amount will help us ensure there are resources for ANY Veteran that may need legal assistance.
